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Bu. 57 


“Bulletin No. 59 M . December 12, 1922. 
. M. LEIGHTON 


COMMON JEALTE OF PRUNSYLVANTA 


er, 


DEPART oie OP INTERNAL /PPAIRS 
James FPF, Woodward, Secretary 








BUREAU OF TOPOGRAPHIC AND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 
George H. Ashley, State Geologist 





ee rene tL eeithanaeed 





SS men amannae a 





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BOG-IRON ORE 
By 


J. Ross Corbin 


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Great interest is being exhibited in bog ores 1n Pennsylvania. 
The idea of receiving an additional income from a naturel resource 
is appealing, and bog-ore deposits cost little to prospect and work. 
The only tools usually required are such as most farmers possess 
Bog-ore deposits are usually so different from the surrounding soils 


as to immediately advertise their presence to even the most casual 
passer-by. 


This Survey has received many requests for information on 
Warious phases of the industry an this bulletin has been prepared 
for the use of persons interested in developing new deposits. 


Where bog ore is found and how. ‘The name "bog ore™ o2 ‘Lecinated 
from the occurrence of the ore in bogs, but deposits have been found 
on nillsides and in bottom lands, in marshes, meadows, and woods, an 
ell situations, in fact, except on tne tops of hills. The use of the 
name has been extended in conmercial dealing so that now it includes 
Bild Material of its type regardless or the Pikos where found. Most 
of the deposits now mmown and all the larsee recent comercial 
developments are in Mercer, Venango, Forest, Clarion, Elk, Jefferson, 
and Clearfield counties, It is believed however that future develop- 
ments will considerably increase the area or préduction, for many 
deposits have been found outside these aoe tea: including the easter 
part of the State, 


Search for bose ore therefore is not restricted to any special 
toposrarphic position. The principal point is to look for iron-red 
earth, for iridescent scum on standing water, or for yellow slimy 
deposits on vegetation and rocks in water Courses, Tne best place 
to search is in or below a rock formation containing some forms of 

iron-besring minerals scattered through it. 











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Search may be ha mpered in summer by brambles and foliage con~ 
cealing deposits, and in the fall and winter by leaves or snow on the 
ground. In the spring before foliage is developed is a good season 
for nunting bog-ore deposits but at that time of year the ground is 
soft and wet in many places, 


Character of ore. Bog ore is characteristically "iron-reda" in 
color, Jhen formed in bodies of still water an iridescent scum is 
usually a prominent feature. The red color of the ore is so differ 
from the colors usually displayed by soils that it immediately 
attracts attention either when exposed as a soil or when it stains 
the clothing or shoes of hunters or others tramping over the deposit, 
Bog ore may be so wet as to be like a soft mud, or it may become very 
dry and nave an earthy consistency. <A forest fire or other con- 
flagration may considerably alter the surface portions of the deposit, 
and it is not unusual to find the colors ranging from yellows and 
browns to reds and purples all in the same deposit, 


411 bog ores have been precipitated from underground waters, 
When first formed bog ore is a slimy, yellowish-red mass which goats 
we rocks, trees, twigs, goil, etc,, upon which it is precipitated, 
AS long as it remains wet and uncompacted it retains these character- 
istics. As the deposit increases in size the additional weight may 
compact the mass; or the spring which deposits it may fluctuate ‘from 
month to month or year to year, permitting portions of the deposit 
to drain or to become partially dry, Or, the deposit may build up 
So that the course of the water is slightly changed, ° vhereupon the 
same nb Ga eee Or drying action niay take place, The spring may become 
Giverted to some new direction, or may even cease to flow, in which 
case the bog ore will become well drained. 


wize of Deposits: To persons accustomed to thinking of ore 
deposits in millions of tons the size of bog-ore deposits in Pennsyl- 
vania Will be disappointing. ‘Several of these deposits have been 
ehh worked although the entire quantity shipved from each 
teposit was only one or two railroad carloads, ‘The Ser eee aeposit 
Baron the writer has seen in Pennsylvania probably originally con- 


tained less than 500 carloads, The averase denosit probably contains 
about a dozen carloszds of ore, 


Value of Deposit: The vaiue of a deposit depends upon many 
factors, Obviously, the larger the depos sit, the more valuable it is. 
4 Small ceposit will not warrant the e::penditure of much money for 
tools and eauipmnent, whereas a larger deposit (under the same circum-_ 
stances) might permit considerable exnenditures for such items. 


It must be remembered that when a deposit is worked out all 
accounts must be balanced, for then that particular operation is 
endec, 


The nearness to railroa@ facilities has much to do with the 
value of deposits. Under ordinary conditions the ore must be hauled 
to the railroad by wagon, and the longer the haul the more it costs 
to deliver the ore, Under prevailine conditions the limit of haul is 
CconSiderably under ten ‘miles, and in most cases is probably not much 
over five miles, 


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Uses: A Small quantity of bog ore is used in the manufacture 
of paint pigments, but this is an unsatisfactory market for bog ores 
both because it is small and erratic and because the requirements are 


necessarily rigid. By far the larger and more satisfactory market is 
that of the artificial gas industry, 


Gas manufactured from coal contains much gasified sulphur, If 
this were allowed to go through the distributing system the gas would 
be inferior for domestic use because of its very disagreeable odor 
when burned,’ By passing the gas through one or more layers of bog 
ore, however, the sulphur is largely removed without affecting the 
heating quality of the gas. Inasmuch as there are several other 
methods by which the sulphur can be removed from the gas, and other 
materials which can be used, it follows that any bog ore which is sold 
for this purpose must meet the competition of the other methods and 
products, These other products frequently exert a controlling 
influence on the bog-ore market. 


Method of Working: Bog-ore deposits are always on the surface. 
Because they are of small extent no single deposit will justify a 
large expenditure for #quipment. 


The simplest equipment is all that is necessary to work most of 
the deposits. Shovels, spading-forks, hoes, and rakes serve ‘to 
loosen the material. To remove the stones, twigs, and roots, the ore 
is thrown against an inclined screen like that used in screening sand. 
The ore which passes through the screen is shipped. Wheelbarrows and 
wagons serve to move the material from the screen to the railroad 
cars. 


During wet weather care should be taken that the ore does not 
"bali" into large lumps which, failing to pass through the screen, ° 
might be thrown away, Because of this tendency of the ore to ball, 
and because of‘the general unpleasant conditions in a deposit in 
stormy weather, it is practicable to work bog-ore deposits only for 
about five months in the year. During the rest of the year users ol 
bog ores must carry enough stock to supply them until the next season, 
or else they must use material other than bog ore. 


Before placing the bog ore in gas-purifying apparatus the ore is 
mixed with wood chips, crushed limestone or other material to insure 
the easy passage of the gas through the mass. This mizing is 
occasionally done by the marketing agent but it is usually done by 
the gas-plant operator. 


Sampling: The methods of sampling ciffer with each operator. 
In sampling a new depyosit it is obviously an exhibition of foresight 
and economy to determine as accurately as vossible the tonnage, 
extent, and the quality of material present, Almost invariably a 
deposit will have irregular streaks either of very rich portions or 
of sandy and undesirable portions. By determining these data before 
operations are commenced it is possible to plan the methods o+ work- 
ing in such a manner that the most profitable result can be had, 


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One method of doing this is to dig small pits 25 feet apart 
over the entire deposit, forming squares. Examination ofthe material 
coming from the pits will show its quality and uniformity, and the 
measurements will indicate the tonnage present. Loose, screened bog 
Ore weighs from 60 to 80 pounds per cubic foot, Ore in the ground 
will weigh somewhat more than this, the weight varying with the com- 
pactness and with the amount of moisture the ore contains, 


During loading operations it is'a wise precaution to take "grab" 
samples of each cartload of material, adding together those samples 
from the carts which form each carload. Such a combined sample 
(which may weigh several pounds) thus forms a permanent record of the 
quality of material “hipped in a particular car, and may be referred 
to in case any question arises. 


Testing: In the matter of having standards by which the ores 
can be classified, the industry is in a chaotic condition. Lach gas 
plant has operating problems which differ from those of other plants; 
consequently each purchasing agent must buy material which is best 
Suited to his plant's particular needs. In order to secure at least 
a semblance of uniformity various methods of analyzing and testing 
have been proposed. Bog ores are sometimes purchased on a basis of 
chemical analysis, although the usefulness of an ore for gas purifica- 
tion purposes cannot be determined from such data. In other methods 
of testing small portions of the ores are tried to determine how much 
Sulphur they will absorb. ‘To do this it is customary to pass hydrogen 
Sulphide (HeS) through the sample, or to use some of the gas as 
actually made in the gas plant, 


The U. S. Bureau of Mines is cooperating with the .imerican Gas 
Association in an endeavor to systematize methods of testing bog ores. 
The completion of such work will be of great benefit to all concerned. 


Prices and Demand: Several years ago an urgent demand srose 
for bog ore for gas purification purposes, and inexperienced operators 
Shipped a considerable quantity of ore which was not properly screened 
Or was otherwise unsuitable for immediate use. The industry as a 
whole is still feeling the effects of this abuse, and purchasers are 
Wary » 


48 has been remarked, other materials may be used in place of bog 
ores under favorable price conditions. For example, when steel scrap 
(borings) is low-priced, (as was the case following the war}, it can 
be bought, exposed to the weather and allowed to rust, and the rust 
used for purifying gas. Again, a by-product in the refining of 
aluminum ore (bauxite) is a chemical precipitate which may be used in 
place of bog ore. External factors such as these influence the 
Selling price of bog ore. 


The freight rate on bog ores from the northwestern counties to 
Atlantic Seaboard points is about $7 per ton, This is the largest 
single item of expense, ane if reduced, would materially beneTit tne 
industry. 


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The selling-price of good quality bog ore at Atlantic Seaboard 
points during the past scason (1922) is reported to be $10-$15 per 
ton; but the price received is always a matter of bargaining between 
Seller and buyer. 


Pennsylvania bog ore has‘ been shipped to Fondulac, Chicago, 
Keokuk, Jashington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York,-‘and to many of 
the plants in the smaller cities‘and towns of New York, New Jersey, 
Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. The possible markets 
smbrace those plants in the eastern part of the United States which 
manufacture gas for domestic (household) use, 


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a@ bogs-ore deposit woula like to market his ore but hesitates because 
ef inexperience, lack of time, or for some other reason. There are 
Several firmis and individuals who will purchase suitable ore deposits 
Or who will work them under lease, In such circumstances the firms 
OY individuals take all responsibility of working the deposit and of 
finding market for the product, and pay the owner a stated royalty on 
each ton taken out, 


The royalty paid ner-ton varies, and depends upon the size of the 
Geposit, its availability, market conditions, and upon the shrewdness 
of the parties interested. Hoyalties reported to this Survey are from 
10¢ to $1.00 or more per ton, but it does not follow that either the 
highest or the’ lowcst of these figures represents the maximum profit 
tO either the owner or the lessee, 


The following is a list (perhaps incomplete) of individuals and 


firms who are interested in developing suitable denosits. 
Allegheny Ore & Manufacturing Co., Oakmont, Pa, 
American Mineral Products & Color Co., ; Noblestown ; Pa. 
American Oxide -& Chemical Cos, 402 Fulton Bldeg,, Pittsburgh, bot 
B, F, Brundred,’ Trust Estate, ob at Bele bikes gee ye 
C.F. Burkhardt, : Oil City; Ya. 
Je We Landers & Company, Tionesta, Par 
BP, 2. Lanson, Kennerdetl , Fa. 
pphibyon.’.) Franklin, Pa. 
WwW. S. Moore, : New Castle, Pa. 
National Ore and Mineral Company, } DuBois, Pas — 
Natural Oxide Corporation, 445 Hifth avenuc, Pittsburgh, £3. 
Pennsylvania Salt Manufacturing Company, Natrona, Pa,’ 
Punchios Lumber Company, ’ Curwensville, Pa, 
Standard Silicon Company, Ridgway, ‘Pa. 
Je We. Whited & Company, Emlenton, Pa. 
S. C. Wiant, Hawthorne, Fa, 













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